Police injured in Ballyclare mass brawl

A number of police officers sustained minor injuries after dealing with a fight that broke out in a crowd of about 50 people in Co Antrim.

Police attended a disturbance in Ballyclare just after 3am on Sunday morning.

Inspector Alison Ferguson said: “Officers attended and found that around 50 people had gathered on Main Street in the town and that fighting had broken out amongst them.

“Following the arrest of a 23-year-old man on suspicion of a number of offences including being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs, assaulting police and criminal damage, the crowd became hostile towards police.”

CS spray was used to restrain a 36-year-old man who was then arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour. He was released, pending a report.

The 23-year-old remains in custody and is helping police with their enquiries.

Police have appealed for information.

Councillor Vera McWilliam said she was “absolutely disgusted” by the incident.

She told the News Letter: “There is no need for this kind of behaviour, especially at 3am when they shouldn’t have even been there.

“It is disgraceful and gives Ballyclare a bad name. It was bad enough that these people were fighting amongst themselves but to turn on police is just despicable.”

Councillor David Arthurs added: “We don’t want to see disturbances like this in our town at any time, let alone 3am on a Sunday morning. This as it is taking police resources away from where they needed elsewhere.”